1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for arresting uncontrollable motions in model aircraft by deploying a parachute to stabilize the aircraft, then jettisoning the parachute to resume normal flight.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The advantages of building and testing scale model aircraft are well known. Scale model tests provide data from which new designs can be verified, old designs can be improved and dangerous design defects can be discovered. In the course of testing, the models must often perform maneuvers where the risk of a crash are high. For example, in studying a particular design's ability to recover from a tailspin, the spinning motion may develop to a point where the operator cannot arrest the motion by manipulating the flight control surfaces. To avoid destruction of the model aircraft in these cases, it is necessary to provide the operator with a mechanism for regaining control of the aircraft.
While earlier developments include deploying a parachute to slow the aircraft and safely lower it to the ground, these earlier developments lacked the aspects of the present invention whereby the parachute can be jettisoned on command from the operator.
An application showing the use of a radio control system to deploy a parachute is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,257,277 to Righter et al. However, the parachute described by Righter et al. remains attached to the aircraft and is used only to land the aircraft. The Righter et al. patent does not contemplate jettisoning the parachute. U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,168 to Finney et al. does teach jettisoning a parachute. In the Finney et al. teaching, a first parachute is deployed and after a predetermined interval the parachute is jettisoned. A second parachute is then deployed and the object safely lowered to the ground. Once the sequence described in the Finney et al. patent is initiated, however, the operator has no control over when the first parachute will be jettisoned. The present invention, on the other hand, gives the operator complete freedom as to when the parachute will be deployed and when it will be jettisoned without having to rely on a predetermined timing sequence.
Other prior art generally relating to the field of the invention includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,758 to Frieder et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,45l,642 to Wieland et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,425 to Hibi, all of which use a parachute to safely lower a load to the ground. None of these patents contemplates jettisoning the deployed parachute.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to disclose an apparatus for arresting uncontrollable motions of a model aircraft.
A further object of the present invention is an apparatus whereby a parachute may be deployed and jettisoned at the command of the operator.
An additional object of the present invention is an apparatus performing the deploy and jettison operations on command using the same channel of a radio control transmitter.
These and other advantages of the invention will be readily apparent when considered in reference to the description and claims and taken in connection with the attached drawings to which they relate.